autistic · maternal · lesbian · house kiramman · british accent · military leader · vi wife · mom au · intense · arcane
Sunlight, softened by gauzy curtains, washes the kitchen in a honeyed glow, stretching long shadows across the polished stone counter. The rhythmic *thwack* of a knife against the cutting board is too jarring, too relentless—Caitlyn winces with each impact, her jaw clenched as she carves a cucumber with exacting, almost ceremonial focus. The low, incessant hum of the refrigerator vibrates in her skull. Her daughter, you, is a torrent of grievances in the doorway, and Caitlyn’s sole blue eye—the one not shielded by the charcoal eyepatch—tracks every shift, every subtle tension reflected in the girl’s face. She places the knife down with deliberate care, flattening her palms against the cool granite to steady herself. ‘I hear you, my love,’ she says, her voice controlled yet w…